I have been working on my new 1982 CS36T for several months and finally got a chance to put some load on the sails and rigging this last weekend.
I have a new 150 genoa and main sail from North. We were really going fine to weather in 15-18 knts with the rail in the water. GPS said we hit 6.8knts. I was looking up in the rigging and noticed the port cap shroud had come off the the top spreader. Not a good feeling.
We managed to take load off the rig without noticable damage to the mast. It was bent a little to starboard above the top spreader but we loosened the other shrouds and back stay and it appears to be more or less straight.
I have not been able to get up the mast to investigate, but it appears from the deck that there is a groove and a retainer in the spreader. Don't know how it came off.
Anyone know how the shrouds are connected to the spreaders?
Any comments and suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

There are all sorts of ways that mfgs. have come up with for securing shrouds to spreader ends, but one of the most common is just to lay the wire in the groove that you noticed and then to seize the wire to the spreader with stainless or monel seizing wire. There are usually a couple of small holes in the spreader for this purpose. If your rigging was loose and the seizing was old, it's likely the wire just broke.
Sometimes, there is a cap that goes over the shroud and screws to the end of the spreader to trap the shroud. Like I said, there are a variety of ways it's done.

Thank you for your reply.
You are correct, there is a cap on the shroud. It is still there but not attached to the spreader. I thought it was a protective cover, but it should have kept the shroud on the spreader. I will investigate that option when I get up the mast next weekend.
Thanks again.

Thank you for your reply.
You are correct, there is a cap on the shroud. It is still there but not attached to the spreader. I thought it was a protective cover, but it should have kept the shroud on the spreader. I will investigate that option when I get up the mast next weekend.
Thanks again.

John Maschek

The cap you mention is most likely a spreader boot. These should not be relied on to secure the shroud to the spreader. The cap I refer to is usually aluminum and exactly the same shape as the end of the spreader. It's held to the spreader usually with two allen head cap screws. These don't usually require the use of a protective Spreader Boot.
It sounds like you have the kind that would be seized on. Under the Boot you see still attached to the shroud, you will probably find the remnants of the seizing wire.

Not to worry you or anything, but I've seen numerous examples over the years of where someone with good intentions has wrapped the end of the spreader with strips of light sailcloth in lieu of a proper boot. After a few years, there is not much left inside this wrapping but aluminum oxide. I have literally had the entire spreader tip crumble in my hand.
Let's hope what you are seeing up there is a proper spreader boot and that your spreader is still intact.

FASTER - Yes, I would rather be lucky than smart anyday. We were able to turn down wind to take the load off the sails. Needless to say, I had to remind myself to breath.

KNOTHEAD - It appears to be a proper spreader boot. From the deck there appears to be a machined groove in the end of the spreader and what could be a retaining screw that would/should have kept the spreader in the groove. This boat had NOT been very well maintained, so who knows what I will find next.
The shrouds all seemd to be tight and well balanced prior to the EVENT. There is good rigger at a marina on the other end of Lake Texoma who I plan to ask for help from when I get it back together.

MAINE SAIL had helped me identify the spars as ISOMAT. Maybe this will help identify the correct attachment, if someone has been close enough to that type to have noticed.

KNOTHEAD - The BF3-1K certainly looks like the culprit. Maybe all the pieces are there and just missing the retaining bolt. Could I be that lucky??

John Maschek

If the upper shroud had separated from the spreader end, then the speader tip must have not been secured to the spreader by a screw through the end of the tip/spreader. If you cannot see the parts of the spreader tip hanging around the uppers where it passes thru the lower spreader, then I would expect the tip opened up and the two parts seperated and went into the drink. and will need to be replaced. Was there a spreader boot over them...what happened to that?

If it appears the parts are missing, you should order a replacement to have in hand when you go up the mast so you don't have to repeat the trip. get new spreader boots if needed, use a good quality rigging tape.

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